"Thanks to our gradual reform, instead of radical, we have basically realized the transformation of our economic system," said Pan Yue, vice-minister of the State Council Office for Restructuring the Economic Systems.

Pan told that China's annual economic growth of higher than 9 percent since 1978, when China started its reform and opening-up, demonstrates that its method of reform is a big success.

Pan said China's successful model of reform and opening-up can set an example for other transitional economies in the world.

Pan summarized China's experience as follows:

The government started the reform in rural areas and expanded it to cities step by step. Its opening-up policies gradually spread from the eastern and coastal regions to the central and western parts of China.

Pricing reform finally shifted completely to a market-orientated mechanism after years of co-existing planned and market-determined prices.

The private economy has increasingly become the State's development priority while the State-owned economy is being restructured.

Economic reform, the theme of previous years, has preceded reform in other sectors, which has followed gradually.

The government has begun to reform its public security and welfare capabilities and has maintained social stability.

(China Daily December 19, 2002)